Who’s In The Kitchen? Executive Sous Chef Nora Galdiano Isleworth Golf and Country Club

Executive Sous Chef Nora Galdiano was harvesting shiso

[SHEE-soh], in the private herb garden at Isleworth Golf and Country Club, when I arrived for this interview. Shiso is a bountiful, basil-mint leafy ingredient used in sushi, salads and sashimi and used in the kitchen at Isleworth CC. We took a few minutes to check out the secluded patio where she manages this green space. We walked through the large, pristine stainless steel kitchen to the outside garden patio.  It was a private, rare glimpse in her normally public life as Executive Sous Chef at Isleworth C.C. and as President of the American Culinary Federation Central Florida Chapter.

Chef Nora is a hands-on chef in many ways. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and I’m not just dishing about her garden. I’ve seen her butcher a whole fresh, wild salmon larger than her petite frame of less than five feet.

She got her start many years ago in the comfort of her family home in Oahu, Hawaii. One of Nora’s earliest food memories is when she was twelve years old. She recalls her brother and mom preparing dinner; her brother swiftly cutting fresh cucumbers without looking. This was Nora’s “Aha” moment; except her thought was “Wow, I want to do that.”

Here’s how she got from there to where she is now, at prestigious Isleworth Country Club, where Nora checks her ego at the door, manages the demanding culinary details of a well executed kitchen, pampers the exclusive Isleworth members with seasonal dishes as well as comfort foods and is a mentor to more than a few of the culinary staff; all done with charm, aplomb and finesse.

SLO: It’s a long way from Hawaii to Orlando. Where did you get your start in the food world?

Chef Nora: I got my A.A. in Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America in 1994. But I stayed in Hawaii through High school and university of Hawaii Kapiolani where I dreamed of attending the Western Culinary School of Oregon. But my turn around in the industry came about in the early 90s, when the whole industry switched from a male dominated field to a mixed gender field. When I was at the Hyatt Regency airport, I worked my way through the kitchen from Chef de Cuisine to Executive Sous Chef where I was able to turn around the restaurant, Hemisphere. That had a big impact on me. Also, at Hyatt Regency, I worked as a line cook under the tutelage of Chef Tournard at La Cocina, where I learned how to prepare fine food.

SLO: Do you dream of food?

Chef Nora: Not now, but when I was a kid working at McDonald’s I did. (She doesn’t look like she’s ever touched a Big Mac.)

SLO: What is the biggest food challenge today, in your opinion?

Chef Nora: Hormone and Antibiotic Injections. Also, getting high quality foods consistently, mostly seafood and produce-they’re so perishable.

SLO: How do you manage the perishables?

Chef Nora: I work closely with a few vendors and have strict standards.

SLO: You’re President of the American Culinary Federation of Central Florida. What’s it like having that responsibility, along with this monster job at Isleworth?

Chef Nora: As President of ACF, I arrange meetings and education seminars. I preside over the board to give my stamp of approval. Here at Isleworth, we have a rotating menu every two weeks and Russell and I have a great staff. It’s a member driven menu, so we know what they enjoy.

SLO: How do you find time for you?

Chef Nora: I’m working on my BS in Restaurant & Hospitality Management, because my dream job is to teach at a culinary school.

SLO: Laughing. I was thinking of dream vacation Nora! But what would you teach at culinary school?

Chef Nora: Oh, well, I would teach restaurant fundamentals; that’s what’s important. And I dream of being a tourist in England and Italy.

SLO: Where is your “go-to” restaurant?

Chef Nora: I love Bahama-Breeze and Ravenous Pig.

SLO: What’s on your bedside reading table?

Chef Nora: Knives at Dawn: America’s Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d’or Competition by Andrew Freidman and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, A Traveler’s Life List by Patricia Schultz.

SLO: What’s your favorite dish to prepare?

Chef Nora: Anything Asian /Pacific. A Miso-Glazed Black Cod (Sablefish).

SLO: Mmmm. What time’s dinner? Laughter. Do you have a favorite kitchen tool?

Chef Nora: My immersion blender.

SLO: Do you have a kitchen secret or tip for my readers?

Chef Nora: I use dental floss to slice goat cheese. Oh, and I use a pitch fork to separate cabbage, the secret is to immerse it (pitch fork) in warm water first.

Mahalo, Nora.

You can friend Chef Nora on Facebook and find her at the American Culinary Federation.